Sunday, May 26, 2013

Game Thread: NYY @ TB 5/26


The Yankees will go for the sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon on TBS with CC Sabathia on the mound facing off against Alex Cobb. The Yankees have really struggled against the Tampa Bay Rays over recent years especially in Tropicana Field so this series win is a sight for sore eyes. Can CC Sabathia get over his own personal Tropicana woes and get the Yankees their sweep or will he struggle again? Tune in to find out at 1:40 on TBS, MLB TV, and on YES.

Here is the Yankees lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Travis Hafner DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
David Adams 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix SS
Austin Romine C


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Yankees Daily Injury Update


David Phelps threw 10 pitches off of flat ground and played catch today for the first time since taking a line drive off the bat to his right pitching forearm. David feels fine and will throw a light side session tomorrow and is still expected to make his next start against the Mets.

Chris Stewart is not catching today because he felt something in his groin last night after trying it out behind the plate against the Rays. Girardi is going to give him the next day or two to rest it up and see where he is after that. A DL stint is looking more and more likely for Chris Stewart.

Eduardo Nunez had a set back after trying to take some swings while rehabbing his injured rib cage muscle. He apparently tried to do too much in his batting practice yesterday and felt something. The plan is not clear on if we will shut him down and how long before he tries again but this is not encouraging news for Eduardo.

Ben Francisco Designated For Assignment


Ben Francisco has been designated for assignment now that David Huff is with the team in Tampa. This clears the 25 man roster spot and ends what has been a terrible reign in the Yankees outfielder. The Yankees will play with a long list of bullpen options and a short bench for the next few days but this is just the beginning of the roster being shaken up. With Joba Chamberlain, Mark Teixeira, and Kevin Youkilis on the way back the Yankees roster may look a lot different come this time next week.

David Huff Arrives In Tampa With The Yankees


David Huff was acquired yesterday by the New York Yankees when they claimed him off waivers from the Cleveland Indians. Francisco Rondon was designated for assignment to make room on the 40 man roster for Huff. No 25 man roster move has been announced yet but I can only assume that Vidal Nuno will go down since his option for this year has already been used and will not be available for the next four days anyway. Huff should be available out of relief for the next week so he will get a decent look as a second lefty in the pen.

New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 5/26


The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays finish up their three game set this afternoon at Tropicana Field down in the Tampa St. Pete area. The Yankees are still in first place despite all the injuries and the Rays have climbed back above .500 so both teams seem to be on the way up after slow starts to the season. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound who for some reason struggles with the Rays and pitching in Tropicana Field against Alex Cobb. The game will be televised at 1:40 pm ET on YES, TBS, and MLB TV.

Game 49 Lineup: Yankees @ Rays

Lineup vs. Rays:

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Travis Hafner DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
David Adams 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix SS
Austin Romine C

CC Sabathia LHP

Some Notes:

-- The Yankees officially acquired David Huff from the Cleveland Indians on Saturday and is with the Yankees today. To make room for him, Ben Francisco has been DFA'd.

Is CC Sabathia Still An Ace?

Being syndicated as a part of Syndicated Sunday from Pinstriped Bible


Is CC Sabathia still king of the hill? (Photo: Keith Allison via Flicker)
Is CC Sabathia still king of the hill? (Photo: Keith Allison via Flicker)
The Yankees entered the 2013 season with a lot of question marks, but so far, the pitching staff has had all the answers. The Yankees currently lead the American League in ERA, and boast what would be one of the highest ERA+ rates in franchise history, so, needless to say, the mound has not been an area of concern. However, the Yankees do have a few first world pitching problems. One of them is named CC Sabathia.
CC Sabathia’s Average Velocity, 2007 to YTD 2013
Sabvelo
Note: click here for illustrative charts of Sabathia’s pitch characteristics and here for a chart displaying average velocity by month.
Source: fangraphs.com
The rest of the league isn’t going to take up a collection for Sabathia, whose 3.43 ERA is in line with his career rate, but it’s been hard not to come away from his outings with some minor concerns. The most obvious red flag has been the big lefty’s diminished velocity, which has been down approximately 4mph off recent highs and two ticks from last year’s average speed. Granted, Sabathia’s fastball is still north of 90mph, and plenty of pitchers have been successful at that speed, but, as the gap with his change-up narrows, the left hander may need to compensate in some other way. Although the sample size is admittedly small for such an evaluation, Sabathia’s fastball and change are each rated below average in terms of pitch type linear weights, and the lack of deception could be one of the causes (one of the effects could be a lower swing rate on pitches out of the zone).
CC Sabathia: Various Peripheral Pitching Rates, 2007 to YTD 2013
Sabrates
Note: O-swing% is percentage of balls out of the strike zone at which a hitter swings. Except for ERA+, all rates are normalized around the average of the period (1 = average).
Source: baseball-reference.com and fangraphs.com
In terms of earned runs allowed, Sabathia hasn’t suffered too much because of the lost zip on his fastball. However, the peripherals are a little more ominous. In particular, the lefty has been allowing more hits (despite inducing fewer ground balls) and home runs, while striking out fewer, which, in the current climate, is perhaps the most meaningful bellwether. If these trends continue, statistical models suggest the impact will eventually take a toll on Sabathia’s ERA.
It’s still early, and Sabathia is only months removed from off season surgery, so, once the weather warms up, the left hander may start lightening up the radar gun once again. If so, the early season worries about his velocity and less than stellar performance will seem rather silly. However, as the only starting pitcher under contract after this season, Sabathia remains a vital component of the Yankees’ present and future. That’s why even irrational concern about the lefty is not completely unfounded, and the following question has resonance: is CC Sabathia still an ace?
Even if Sabathia is starting to veer off a bit, it’s important to remember he is coming from a Hall of Fame path. That leaves the big left hander plenty of wiggle room to maintain his effectiveness even in the face of diminished skills. Nonetheless, it isn’t unreasonable to wonder if Sabathia’s days as an elite ace are waning, or even in the past. At 32 years old, it would be more of surprise if he wasn’t forced to make a concession to age, but because he has been so reliable and consistent, it might be hard for Yankee fans to accept this inevitability. However, the real issue is whether Sabathia can accept it. If so, and he adapts accordingly, the questions about Sabathia’s status as an ace just might be answered affirmatively.

This Day In Yankees History 5/26


On this day in 2000 at Yankees Stadium against the Boston Red Sox a fan fell from the upper deck and remained motionless on the screen behind home plate for five minutes. Suddenly the man would sit up and raise both of his hands high and the 24 year old man was promptly arrested for disorderly conduct. Should have stayed down buddy!